Farmers Birthday Offer an Insult to Workers

Workers at Farmers stores are planning a range of
protest activities tomorrow.

The iconic Kiwi chain is
celebrating its 100th year of operation with a paltry twenty
cents an hour pay offer for two thirds of its staff.

NDU
National Secretary Laila Harré says the glitzy smoke and
mirrors of the company’s birthday celebrations makes a
mockery of how they treat their staff.

“Farmers is owned
by seriously wealthy people but their employees are barely
able to survive on what they are paid.

“They have
offered some staff a twenty cents an hour increase in our
latest pay negotiations. Around 12 union members might
qualify for a sixty cent rise but other conditions are such
that around a third of Farmers workers could receive no wage
increase at all.”

Ms Harré says her members will by
demonstrating outside the Auckland’s Queen Street branch
at 11:30 am tomorrow.

Staff on the job will be encouraged
to wear stickers saying ‘I’m Underpaid’ to let
customers know just how little the company respects its
workers.

The union will also be paying a visit to the
‘rich–list’ owners Remuera residence and leafleting
the neighbours.

“We will be bringing the reality of life
on low wages to their doorstep.

“We have members who
have been working for Farmers for many years and they are
being rewarded for supporting the plush lifestyle the owners
are living with the most insulting pay offer
imaginable.”

FIRST Union is New Zealand's second-largest private sector trade union.

Formed in 2011 after the merger between the National Distribution Union and Finsec, FIRST Union represents 27,000 workers in the Finance, Industrial (Textile and Wood), Retail, Stores, Transport and Logistics sectors.

FIRST Union is also affiliated to the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions and runs several networks including the Union Network of Migrants, the Runanga, Fono and Womens' Committee. In 2015 FIRST Union launched Samoa First Union, Samoa's only private sector union.

Join FIRST Union today for higher pay, better conditions and more say at work.

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